WW2 engagement range

Hi all,
Does anybody happen to know what was the typical engagement range for tank, infantry and combined battles during WW2 and compared with modern engagements? I imagine range would be significantly (or at least slightly) lessened when comparing the two, though to what extent i am not sure...

 

I don't know much about infantry engagement range, but I do know that it differed greatly depending on the terrain. In forested or urban areas, the typical engagement range was often no more than 20 meters.

Similarly for tanks, in the West the average engagement range was about 800 meters whereas in the East it was around 1200 meters.

 

I heard the gunner of Whitman had the gun normall on 1000meters than would estimate wether the target was farther or closer so i would say Roel's estimate would be in the ballpark.

 

I have seen 250-500 yards mentioned as normal engagement ranges for direct fire weapons in the West and 1,000 or more in the East. Don't forget it's not only terrain and visibility, but weapon type, accuracy and lethality are all involved (even rifles have killing ranges beyond 500 yards).

 

How long is 1 yard in metric?

 

1 yard = 0.9144 meters.

 

1 yard = 3 feet.

3 feet = 90 cm

1 foot = 30 cm

(Roughly)

 

I suppose it matters as who is engaging what?
I hear that a tiger could accurately engage at 1000m :kill: and shermans reply at abour 150m but even then without sureity of taking out the tiger frontally. :bang:

 

Accuracy is not the determining factor, what matters is such variables as terrain, weather and the estimated opponent. It's true that on the open plains of the Eastern front, engagements were sometimes opened at over 3000 meters (though this was not normal), whereas in urban environments the engagement range was often within 100 meters. However in general we can say that the average engagement range, for all vehicles combined, was somewhere in the middle between these extremes.

As to your example, an early Sherman could not penetrate the Tiger's front hull at any range whereas the Tiger could penetrate the Sherman's front hull at ranges up to and above 2000 meters. On the other hand, the late-type Sherman could easily penetrate the Panzer IV, its likely opponent, from distances greater than the Panzer IV could do so in return. In all cases though, these scenarios suppose ideal conditions; in reality the battlefield itself dictated the engagement range.

 

So it is entirely possible for extremely cloes range combat (even going as far as to require some hand-to-hand?)

Is there ever a solid answer around here? I got told most of the time you never see the guy's you're shooting at/

I don't get it........

 

Tank actions will be fought at many ranges. It is not possible to say that ALL tank actions are fought at a particular range e.g. 1000m

With regards to seeing the guy shooting at you, if the're on the flank or rear, it is very possible you will not see them before you get hit, regardless of the range.

 

That has certainly happened often enough in restricted ground - urban areas or forests for example. Wherever the line of sight is short and narrow, engagements will only be possible at close range; before you reach those ranges, you simply can't see anything.

 

I beleive the gunner of Whitman always had the gun at a certain range than adjusted accordingly I donno if this helps. Maybe if someone know it that would be a decent estimate for an average.

 

couldn't the german 88 hit a sherman tank from a mile away?

 

Certainly, but it would indicate an above-average engagement range:
<http://www.panzerworld.net/88l56.html>
<http://www.panzerworld.net/88l71.html>

 

It could but it would be hard, even a slight changed in direction of the shell/bullet when it reached it's target the bullet would be very far off target, and that saying i doubt a German 88 could hit a Sherman anyday

Terrain affects matters as well, such as a German Forest covered in snow, it would be near impossible to hit a German 88 there, unless you have a very strong cannon then the trees move for you, so the battling range could be anywhere near too 20-50 metres, rocky terrain would be the worst, 20-30 Metres i heard.